Horseshoe Bend, Idaho

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Coordinates: 43°54′46″N 116°11′57″W / 43.91278, -116.19917
Horseshoe Bend, Idaho
Location in Boise County and the state of Idaho
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Boise
Area
- Total	0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²)
- Land	0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	2,631 ft (802 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	770
- Density	1,247.4/sq mi (481.6/km²)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
- Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code	83629
Area code(s)	208
FIPS code	16-38620
GNIS feature ID	0396669

For other uses, see Horseshoe Bend.

Horseshoe Bend is the largest town in rural Boise County, in southwestern Idaho. Its population of 770 at the 2000 census was the largest in the county. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The elevation of the town is 2604 feet (793 m) above sea level and is named for its location at the horseshoe-shaped U-turn of the Payette River, whose flow direction changes from south to north before heading west to the Black Canyon Reservoir.

The area was originally settled as a gold miners' staging area, as prospectors waited along the river for snows to thaw at the higher elevations. Gold had been discovered in 1862 in the Boise Basin mountains to the east, near Idaho City.

The settlement became known as Warrinersville, after a local sawmill operator. The name was changed to Horseshoe Bend in 1867, and after the gold rush quieted, the town became a prosperous ranching and logging community. The railroad, from Emmett up to Long Valley following the Payette River (its North Fork above Banks), was completed in 1913. [1]

Horseshoe Bend sits along Highway 55, the primary north-south route out of Boise, 23 miles (37 km) to the south and accessed over the 4242 foot (1293 m) Spring Valley summit. Within an hour's drive north of Horseshoe Bend are the outdoor recreational areas of the Payette River basin, including Cascade, Tamarack Resort, and McCall. Highway 55 was designated the "Payette River Scenic Byway" in 1977.

In 1998 the town's primary employer, Boise Cascade, closed its sawmill on September 30th. [2] Horseshoe Bend has attempted to become the county seat of Boise County, replacing historic Idaho City.[3]

Horseshoe Bend's current culture is a blend of ranching and a growing bedroom community for Boise. Its annual events include a banjo festival in late May, the national senior pro rodeo in June, and a fall festival in October. A scenic railroad, the Thunder Mountain Line [4], is based in town.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Horseshoe Bend is located at 43°54′46″N, 116°11′57″W (43.912740, -116.199290)^[1].

According to the U.S. Census, the city has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 770 people, 261 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,247.4 people per square mile (479.5/km²). There were 290 housing units at an average density of 469.8/sq mi (180.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.34% White, 0.78% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 4.29% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.96% of the population.

There were 261 households out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,125, and the median income for a family was $35,882. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $24,063 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,486. About 11.2% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.